New poll shows most Canadians support abortion — with some restrictions

OTTAWA — Canadians generally support a woman’s right to have an abortion but many believe the medical procedure should be allowed only in “certain circumstances,” a new poll has found.

The nationwide survey commissioned by Postmedia News and Global TV, which examined the state of Canadian values, reveals that a majority would support a law that places limits on when a woman can have an abortion, such as during the last trimester of her pregnancy. But support for an outright ban on all abortions is weak.

On the same-sex marriage law, which the Tories criticized while in opposition but have not reversed, a majority of Canadians are now happy with the status quo of allowing gays and lesbians to get married.

And on the issue of capital punishment — which Mr. Harper says he personally supports in certain circumstances but will not put forth as a new law — two-thirds of Canadians favour the death penalty.

Ipsos Reid president Darrell Bricker said in an interview that the findings on abortion show that public opinion on the politically charged issue isn’t simple.

“The Canadian public has a fairly nuanced, complicated view on this. And it’s more nuanced than those who are fighting on both sides of this debate.”

The poll found that 49% of Canadians think abortion “should be permitted whenever a woman decides she wants one.” Another 45% said abortion should “be permitted in certain circumstances.”

Just six per cent said it “should not be permitted under any circumstances.”

Ipsos Reid reports that support for a woman’s right to an abortion has increased over the years; the pollster points to a 1988 poll that showed 36% support for unrestricted abortion rights and 39% support for abortion with restrictions.

According to the new poll, support for a woman’s right to choose in any circumstances is highest among affluent Canadians and those with a university degree. In the regions, support for unrestricted access is highest in Quebec (60%), followed by British Columbia (52%).

“What this says to me is that Canadians are generally supportive of a woman’s choice but they don’t want the choice to be taken frivolously,” said Mr. Bricker.

“For the most part what they would like to see is a woman being able to make that decision. The current Canadian legal situation is what they prefer. Do they actually like women pursuing abortions? The answer is no. They don’t.”

The poll asked if people would support “the introduction of a law in Canada that places limits on when a woman can have an abortion during her pregnancy, such as during the last trimester.”

Sixty per cent would support this, while 40% would not.

Canada has not had an abortion law since 1988.

Mr. Harper has said that his government will not bring forward abortion legislation.

Similarly, Mr. Harper has said he will not table a bill to overturn the 1995 law introduced by the former Liberal government to allow same-sex marriage.

Ipsos Reid found that 62% of people believe same-sex marriage “should be fully recognized and equal to conventional heterosexual marriage.”

On capital punishment, the poll found a majority of Canadians do support a return to the past law, which was ended in 1976. While six per cent don’t have an opinion, among those that do, 65% would support the return of the death penalty and 35% opposed such a move.

Ipsos Reid said support for capital punishment is now 13 points higher than it was in 2001, when it was 52%.

In the latest poll, support is strongest in Atlantic Canada (80%), followed by Alberta and Saskatchewan-Manitoba (75%).

Affluence also plays a role, with high-school educated (76%) and middle-income Canadians (72%) among those most likely to support it. By comparison, the only group to strongly oppose the return of the death penalty are those with a university education (63%).

In an interview last year, Mr. Harper said he wasn’t prepared to take action on the issue. “I personally think there are times where capital punishment is appropriate,” he said. “But I’ve also committed that I’m not, you know, in the next Parliament [there are] – no plans to bring that issue forward.”

The figures come from two Ipsos Reid polls conducted from its online panel between June 11-18 and June 20-25.

The first poll was of 1,101 Canadians and had a margin of error of 3.0 percentage points 19 times out of 20 for national results. The second poll of 1,009 Canadians has a national margin of error of 3.1 percentage points 19 times out of 20. The margin of error for provincial results is higher.